1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and particularly relates to a user password management method.
2. Description of the Related Art
An information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a tablet, or a multi-function peripheral (MFP) having login/logout function is commonly known. Software such as an application, a database, or a website having unique login function apart from the login function when using the information processing apparatus is known, too. A user finds it troublesome to, after logging in to the information processing apparatus, perform a login operation again to use the software. Accordingly, the software having unique login function may have “auto login function” of automatically logging in to the software using information stored in association with the user information of the information processing terminal.
The software having login function is also commonly known to have a function of managing a password policy (such as password complexity and validity period) as a measure against user spoofing, for data protection (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-318304). Such software has a function of displaying, on the display of the information processing apparatus, a screen prompting the user to change his or her login password in the case where the complexity of the password is below specified complexity or in the case where the validity period of the password is about to expire. Typically, the timing of displaying the screen prompting for the password change is immediately after the user performs a login operation using the pre-change password.
However, the following problem arises in the case of using both the “auto login function” and the “password change prompting function”. For example, the timing of prompting for the password change is typically immediately after the login operation to the software. In the case where the auto login function is on, however, the user performs no login operation, and so there is no timing of displaying the screen prompting for the password change. If the screen prompting for the password change is displayed despite auto login, the user may become confused, unable to recognize where the password to be changed is managed. The user may be, for instance, unable to recognize whether the password change is for the information processing apparatus or the software.
For example, an information processing apparatus having a large display can display the login screen and the password change screen simultaneously on its operation unit, thus preventing confusion on the user. An information processing apparatus such as an MFP or a smartphone having a relatively small display is, however, not suited to display a plurality of screens simultaneously on its display.
The present invention has been made in view of the problem stated above, and enables a user to perform a password change operation without confusion even in the case where the auto login function is on.